I got an ipod for Christmas and hooked it into my fit via an audio cable. But the sound has to be cranked to like 35 for any hearable sound. Does anyone know what I am doing wrong?

 

Turn the iPod up to 95% or higher. Im sure thats the problem.

Tyler

 

As far as I can tell most secondary output sources cannot go higher than the original input devices settings. So another words "TOOL" is most likely correct. I have run into this problem innumerable times. Even in vehicles with dual volume controls (that are not synchronized)

If thats not the problem...then...um...I am really sorry to hear that

good luck regardless

 

look for a cable that has an ipod connector to rca or 1/8" headphone out. it's going to be a clean line level output.

if you use a double ended 1/8" stereo put through the headphone jack, it's going to sound like crap.

 

i'm sorry to hear that the ipod link isn't working well...

i run sound for venues and i typically use an ipod for house music. there are a few things you should do on your ipod:

first, make sure the volume is at about 95% like it was said earlier (any higher and the output could clip, which sounds like crap and is death for speakers)

second, turn the "sound check" option OFF... it is supposed to act like a normalizer, but instead of bringing all the songs up to a peak volume, it seems to have some arbitrary gain point that is typically lower than a well-encoded mp3

third, you can use the eq to add a little more gain to your ipod (although, beware of clipping -- which you shouldn't if the volume is at 95 or so)

fourth, make sure the volume limiter isn't turned on in your ipod

----

if all those don't cure it, check the connectors (i know, duh!) a loose connector will have a weak signal.

one last thing, about the aux jack, make sure you have a STEREO connector... i know mono jacks aren't very common for 1/8" plugs, but people still sell them. your local radioshack should know what that means - basically it's a cable that transmits both the left and right channels through the plug. you can tell the difference by how many rubber rings are on the tip of the plug, mono only has 1 and stereo will have 2. that will affect sound quite drastically too... (if you just get a monster cable from guitar center, you will be ok, since i don't believe they even make a mono 1/8" plug)

a ipod connector to 1/8" will improve sound quality but only slightly, but IMHO, a car is the absolute worst place to listen to music. with ambient noise sometimes reaching up to 60db, the difference between using the headphone jack and the dock connector would be so negligible it almost doesn't justify the cost difference... also, the headphone jack is an amplified signal, so the dock connector will have a lower output too.

hope this helps.

 

how funny (or apropos) that a person who helps out in this thread has the call sign of "barelyinaudible" .....

what a riot!!!!hahaaahaaaa

ppl better appreciate that!!!!haahaahaaa

 

...ironic isn't it?

 

yeah...umm....wait a minute....hmmm...
Something didnt seem right about it being ironic hmmm....
audible-capable of being heard...
inaudible-not capable of being heard...
barely-only just
1)barely audible- only just audible...
2)barely inaudible- you can almost hear it...

1) so I could just barely hear it...
2) so I could just barely not hear it
in an odd way very similar in that neither are loud...hmmm....

...so I guess "distinctlyaudible" would be ironic..."barelyinaudible" is apropos...I think

yes I am really that bored...
back to topic.....
any luck dumluk2002 ?....I thought that was funny too

 

are you speaking from experience?

why do they sell ipod docks then from apple ones made by harman kardon or yamaha for home audio/ theatre applications that connect though the ipod connector? infact that do they even sell ipod connectors for oem or aftermarket applications. just to control and charge?

 

The iPod headphone output is one way to hook up your sound, however this relies on the headphone amplifier built into that output to increase the sound. The dock connector is the better way. Better iPod systems use the dock connector to get the sound. The level is consistent, better quality, and you don't have to adjust the volume on the iPod for them to work optimally.

Here's a link to a fitfreak thread about a system made by Monster that allows you to take advantage of the better method, and charge the iPod and the same time.

iPod hookup

e.b.

 

yes, i am speaking from experience. it is pretty common knowledge that the headphone jack is an amplified signal whereas the dock connector is line level. if the problem is volume, i would assume less overall gain is not what we're going for.

the dock connector is used for high-end stereo systems because it eliminates a gain stage by taking the headphone jack and the ipod's internal volume out of the loop and the rules of audio dictate that the fewer gain stages there are, the lower the noise floor will be... but in a crappy environment like a vehicle, the fidelity of the signal is much lower on the priority list since any real increase in fidelity if going to be lost to all the environmental noise. hence, no real need to use the dock connector in the car, the fit just doesn't have the sound dampening to justify caring about the fidelity too much... unless, of course, you listen to the music parked in the garage with your engine off, then you may notice. i use the 1/8" jack from my nano all the time and can blast the heck out of my system with the volume at 40 -- it's perceptibly as loud as a cd... with the buzzing of the engine and the noise of the city, all you really need is the juice, it's like someone saying they can tell the difference between an mp3 and an uncompressed sound file on a cd player in the car's stereo, it's all in their head, all the signals that are taken out of an mp3 are at a level that would be much quieter than the overwhelming sound of a car driving on the highway at about 55... this doesn't even begin to cover the fidelity lost to the stereo's volume compensation system at high speeds, or the horrible eq setup they included in the system. seriously, it's a freakin car. if i am going to "really" listen to music, i'll do it on my component system... using a 1/8" ain't gonna change much, at least not enough to care about.

of course none of this applies to component systems in a house or studio, this is solely regarding cars.

did you ever figure out the reason for the volume problem BTW?